At about 6:10 a.m. on Monday, June 17, 23-year-old motorcyclist Frank Aldana Escalante, of Lakewood, and 65-year-old motorist Marianne Krone, of La Palma, were killed in a collision in Long Beach. A California Highway Patrol officer briefly pursued Escalante after observing him riding at speeds in excess of 100 mph on the 605 Freeway but ceased to chase him after he exited on Spring Street. Escalante continued riding to the intersection of Wardlow Road and Norwalk Boulevard, where he struck the minivan Krone was driving, the impact causing it to rollover multiple times. Authorities are investigating the accident.

“After a fatal accident, the families of the victims may hold the negligent party liable for their losses by filing wrongful death claims,” explained California car accident lawyer James Ballidis.

In 2010, 1,874 people were killed or injured in traffic accidents that occurred in Long Beach, according to the California Office of Traffic Safety’s most current records. Speeding was a factor in 254 of the fatal and injury collisions, with Long Beach ranking 12th out of 13 cities with similarly sized populations for its incidence of such accidents in a rating system in which 1st place is considered the worst.

All of us at Allen, Flatt, Ballidis, and Leslie would like to offer our condolences to the families of Frank Aldana Escalante and Marianne Krone, the motorcyclist and the motorist who were killed in the collision.